Hardin Towell and Man in Black (Sportfot) Wellington, Fla. - Week four of the 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) concluded with the exciting $50,000 Ariat® Grand Prix CSI 2* on Sunday afternoon held on the grass derby field at The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). An exciting eight-horse jump-off finished with a win for Hardin Towell (USA) and Man in Black, with Andres Rodriguez (VEN) and Caballito in second and Lauren Hough (USA) aboard...

Andrew Ramsay and Adamo van't Steenputje (McCool Photography) Las Vegas, N.V. - Saturday at the Las Vegas National was a spectacular display of show jumping at its finest, plus some sky-high entertainment. The first of two highlight events was the $10,000 SmartPak Winning Round Classic, with forty-seven entries and the top ten returning for a lightning fast second round. Later in the evening, the $50,000 Markel Insurance Grand Prix CSI-W had forty-two entries with eight pairs going clean,...

Sonoma, PA - Peter Breakwell of New Zealand took top honors on Sunday, September 22nd in Sonoma Horse Park’s marquee class, winning the $25,000 Balancing Tonic Grand Prix to close out the 2013 SHP Finale, the final show of the popular facility’s seven-week season. Just a week after winning the $20,000 Stable Mix Grand Prix aboard his veteran show jumper Lucas, Breakwell took a new mount to the winners circle in Finnley 5, a 9-year-old Westfalian gelding that was jumping in just his...

More showing chronicles. Not to bore you or to toot our horns, but to make you think. To ask questions. To reflect. Dressage training should make our horses more rideable, more comfortable in their bodies as riding horses, better in their minds, and keep them sound longer as our partners. At least that is what my trainers have taught me.Our rescue organization takes in horses, some with long histories of lameness, and through proper training, conditioning and development over time, return them...

Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen (Samantha Clark) Lexington, KY - The first day of dressage began at the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials in Woodstock, England, with the first batch of U.S. riders coming down the centerline on Thursday. In the CCI3*, a talented international field performed their dressage tests in front of the judging panel of Eric Lieby, Nick Burton, and Lindsay Jenkins. Clark Montgomery (Wiltshire, UK) and Loughan Glen, USEF Land Rover Competition Grant...

Note to Self: 1. Prepare classical instructor that you will be appearing before him in western tack and riding an Appaloosa stallion, NOT your third level Westfalen import and 2. Don’t ride in a clinic without a photographer A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…. I got a book from the library called The Schooling of the Western Horse by John Richard Young. It was published in 1945 (practically the dark ages) and outlined progressive training for western horses. Critically...

Patrik Kittel and Watermill Scandic Wellington, FL - Patrik Kittel and Watermill Scandic added a brilliant victory in today's Gold Coast Opener Grand Prix Freestyle CDI-W to their win in Friday's Grand Prix CDI-W, both at Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. The pair of strong showings establishes them as top contenders in the World Dressage Masters (WDM) CDI5* Palm Beach at Jim Brandon, which will take place January 24-26. WDM will be far from a walkover, however. Kittel and Watermill...

The twenty third in a series of blog post from Michelle Binder I began this Western Dressage Blog specifically as a blog for NAWD to help raise public awareness about WD groups other than WDAA. I saw a need for publicity specific to that organization. I also saw a need for a forum that presented the reality that other organizations with different missions and goals regarding WD existed. USEF has not licensed Western Dressage as an independent discipline so at this time there is no officially...

Friday morning dawned cold and rainy as the CIC3* and Advanced Division A both got underway at 8:00 AM at The Fork Horse Trials in Norwood, North Carolina. The 60 competitor strong CIC3*, which is running as part of the PRO Tour Series, had split dressage days with half running on Thursday afternoon and the remaining this morning. Michael Pollard and Jude’s Law held the overnight lead on a 41.1, but the very first rider of the morning, Will Faudree, upset that lead by scoring a 39.6 with...

Pierre St. Jacques and Lucky Tiger (Susan J. Stickle) Wellington, FL - Pierre St Jacques and his mount Lucky Tiger won the FEI Olympic Grand Prix Special in the $120,000 5* West Palm Beach, presented by Diamante Farms on Friday. St Jacques, who hails from Anthony, FL, took the blue ribbon with a score of 67.311% at the Stadium show grounds of the Global Dressage Festival. (GDF) David Marcus, of Campbellville, Ontario, was second with Chrevi's Capital scoring 67.022% and Christopher Hickey...